Slide fastener



July 11, 1961 A. J. MCNAMARA SLIDE FASTENER Filed Sept. 15, 1958 INVENTOR AMBROSE J. MC NAMARA ATTORNEY United-States Patent 2,991,527 SLIDE FASTENEIR Ambrose J. McNamara, 44 N. Broadway, White Plains, .Y., assignor to Irving Constant, Esq., New York, N-Y.

' Filed Sept. 15, 1958,;Ser; No. 761,027

1 Claim. (Cl. 24-,-205.1)-

The present invention is directed to a slide fastener, and more particularly to a slide fastener of the concealed type which closely simulates a seam in its closed disposition.

It has long proved desirable to provide a slide fastener which simulates a seam in its closed disposition. To achieve this goal, slide fasteners have been developed in which the slide fastener elements overlie the tapes on which they are carried when the elements of such slide fasteners are matingly engaged. For example, see the slide fastener disclosed in United States Letters Patent 2,738,560, issued March 20, 1956, to Jacques Hug.

Repeated usage of slide fasteners of the aforesaid type has demonstrated that there is a tendency for the free edges of the slider to rub against the adjacent surfaces of the tapes, so that after extended usage the tapes exhibit wear.

This invention has as an object the provision of a novel slide fastener.

This invention has as another object the provision of a slide fastener of the aforesaid concealed type in which engagement between the slider and the element carrying tapes is prevented.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view with parts being in section of one embodiment of the concealed slide fastener of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in plan revealing the construction of one of the slide fastener elements of the embodiment of the slide fastener of the present invention shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 2 revealing a second embodiment of a slide fastener element of a slide fastener of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGURES l and 2, there is shown therein the slide fastener designated genera-11y as 10. Slide fastener comprises a pair of slide fastener element carrying tapes 12 on which are carried the mating slide fastener elements 14. The slide fastener elements 14 are engaged and disengaged by the action of the slider 16 which may comprise any one of the wide variety of available sliders for concealed slide fasteners, such as a slider of the type shown in United States Letters Patent 2,120,924, issued June 14, 1938, to Sigismund Stillschweig or the aforesaid Hug Patent 2,738,560. No claim is made to the specific construction of the slider 16 used in the slide fastener 10 of the present invention.

The slide fastener elements 14 may be formed of metal or may be formed of plastic, such as nylon.

Each slide fastener element 14 comprises a clamping jaw portion 18 within which the innermost portion 20 of the supporting tape 12 is received. I have found that by forming the clamping jaw portion 18 in the manner indicated in the drawings, namely as the slot 22 which is angularly disposed to the flat back 24 the use of a welted or beaded edge on the tape 12 for anchorage purposes can be avoided. As shown in the drawing, the slot 22 extends at an acute angle with relation to the flat tape engaging surface on the back 24. However, the slide fasteners of the present invention comprise constructions in which the elements include a clamping jaw portion whichis constructed to receive a tape having a welted or beaded edge.

The shank 26 of the slide fastener element 14 includes the interlocking members, such as the cup 28 on its back surface and a projection on its front surface. The engagement between the cup 28 of one slide fastener element and the projection 29 of the next adjacent mating slide fastener elements is shown in FIGURE 1, and the use of any of the wide variety of projections and cups known to those skilled in the art is contemplated in the slide fastener elements of the present invention.

The slide fastener elements 14 are provided with laterally projecting sides 30, which may be arcuately curved, for engagement with the mating adjacent flanks 32 of the slider 16. It is essential for the purposes of this invention that the laterally projecting side 30 of each of the slide fastener elements 14 does not extend to the back 24 of the slide fastener element 14, but instead, the back end 34 of the side 30 of each of the slide fastener elements 14 is spaced from the back 24 by the intermediate step 35, such step 35 having a height appreciably greater than the maximum thickness of the free edge portion 36 of the slider 16. The provision of the step '35 insures that engagement between the free edge portion 36 of the slider 16 and the tape 12 will be avoided because notwithstanding flexing of the tape 12 and bending thereof in respect to the back 24, the free edge portion 36 of the slider 16 is spaced a suflicient distance from the tape 12 by the step 35 to avoid engagement.

In the embodiment of the slide fastener 10a shown in FIGURE 3, the construction generally resembles that of the slide fastener 10 shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 except that the free edge portion 36a of the slider 16a is received within a channel 38 formed between the arcuately curved side 30a of the slide fastener element 14a and the back 24a, which back 24a includes the peninsula 40. In the construction shown in FIG- URE 3 the channel 38 and the peninsula 40 serve as the step to prevent engagement between the free edge portion 36a of slider 16 and the slide fastener element carrying tape 12.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claim, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

A slide fastener comprising a pair of slide fastener element carrying tapes, mating slide fastener elements gripping the inside edge portions of each of said tapes, and a slider having flanks slidably disposed on the mating slide fastener elements, each of said slide fastener elements comprising a body having a flat tape engaging surface, a shank portion on said body extending substantially parallel to said flat surface, means on the faces of said shank portion for interlocking the element with mating elements, there being a slot in said body extending at an acute angle with relation to said flat surface, a side having a laterally projecting portion which engages the flanks of the slider, there being a channel on each element, said channel being positioned intermediate said laterally projecting portion and said flat surface so as to define a peninsula between said channel and said fiat surface, said slot extending toward said laterallvprojecting' portion, theinside edge of the tape being received within said slot,""each of the tapesbeing overlapped about a fold line adjacent to the slide fastener elements carried by it and extending across the flat surface of each of the elements so. that the tapes conceal the slide fastener elements when themating slide fastener elements on said tapes'areint'erlocked, said channel having a width slightly greater than the thickness of said flanks, said flanks having a free edge 'portion vdisposed in said channel and spaced from'th'e' tapes engaging said flat surface by the height of said peninsula so as to pre- 4. vent contact betwe'ensaid tapes andsaid'free. edge portion of said flanks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,032,858 Schaper i-; Mar. 3, 1936 FOREIGNPATENTS a" i 422,662 Great Britain Jan. 16, 1935 489,657 Great Britaim; --Aug. 2, 1938 745,617 Feb. 29, 1956 Great Britain 

